Dog Obedience Training Blog
Category : dog chewing
Nose Work 1 an Introduction to Nose Games
Dogs can’t read books, they don’t watch television, (well at least not for very long), they don’t scrap book, or build things but they still need hobbies! If a dog’s mind is not entertained, he will find his own hobby to engage in, but often dogs choose inappropriate behavior such as; barking, digging, chewing, ripping up carpeting, eating drywall, chasing children, stealing, and other general naughtiness.
Most often when I hear my clients complain about these behaviors I wonder if the dog is truly mentally and physically stimulated at home. If I was locked in a room with 4 white walls and one sofa with nothing to do for days on end, sooner or later I would shred the sofa too! You must find ways to entertain your dog’s mind to help him stay well behaved.
A dog’s sense of smell is 2000 greater than that of a human. I often liken reading a book or watching a movie to a dog following a scent or even digging through layers of ground scents (although we consider this naughty, each layer of ground has a new and different story for your dog’s nose)
Beaver Dog
courtesy of www.thefunnydogs.com
Abandoned as a young whelp, he was taken in and reared by a family of beavers! They must be so proud…
Poisonous Plants to Your Dog
We can all appreciate the beauty of plants. But, did you know that there are a number of plants that are toxic to your dog, if ingested? Some serious problems can arise from eating the seeds of some of these plants, or from chewing on some of the leaves, or some can even come from chewing the bulbs or roots of the plant. So, before you plant this Spring, be sure you know how to protect your dogs from accidental poisoning.
Avoid these Poisonous Plants for Dogs
findavet.us/blog
Spring is just around the corner. If you’re getting ready to plant a new garden or dogscape your backyard, the ASPCA warns that you should be sure to avoid the following plants that can be highly toxic to dogs.
Sago Palm: Although the entire plant is poisonous, the seeds or “nuts” contain the most toxins. Even if your dog only eats a seed or two, serious effects including vomiting, diarrhea, depression, seizures and liver failure can occur.
Tulip/Narcissus bulbs: These bulbs contain toxins that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation, drooling, loss of appetite, depression of the central nervous system, convulsions and cardiac abnormalities.
Azalea/Rhododendron: These plants contain grayantoxins, which can produce vomiting, drooling, diarrhea, weakness and depression of the central nervous system in animals. Severe azalea poisoning could ultimately lead to coma and death from cardiovascular collapse.
Biting Off More Than You Can Chew…
courtesy of dogblog.dogster.com, One of the two chewed police cars/chew toys, "Chattanooga Times Free Press"
I’ve heard of dogs that love ‘chasing‘ cars, but ‘chewing‘ cars! Check out the bumper on this police car. Give the poor dog a good chew toy for goodness sake!
Talk About a Dog With a Chewing Problem…
by Maria Goodavage,dogblog.dogster.com
You think your dog’s chewing is destructive?
Don’t talk to Nancy Emerling, of Chattanooga, Tenn. Her bulldog made four cars — as in real-deal automobiles — into chew toys this weekend. And two of the cars happened to be police cars.
Behaviors to Encourage
We all want a dog that behaves well, don’t we? So, when you see your dog exhibiting a behavior that is a ‘good’ one, be sure that you reinforce that behavior. Read this article to find out one way to do that.
What dog behaviors should I encourage?
by Nicole S. Silvers, March 3, 2010, dogstardaily.com
Most owners know that they want their dogs to SIT, DOWN, STAY, COME, HEEL. When it comes to general behaviors, owners have little idea of what behaviors they even want to encourage, let alone how to accomplish the encouragement. By contrast, ask an owner what they are trying to stop, and there are multiple answers. Even the most mannerly dogs’ “rap sheets” tend to be read out when meeting other dog people.
Brain Toys for Your Dog
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courtesy of www.examiner.com
Dogs can easily become bored and may need more to entertain them than just the occasional chew toy or chasing a ball. Here are some interesting options to help stimulate your dog’s mind and release all that pent-up energy.
Nina Ottoson toys get your dogs brain working
posted by Nicole Martin, 2/22/10, www.examiner.com
Most pet dogs are chronically under-stimulated, especially in the cold winter months when their owners are less active. Food puzzle toys come in all different shapes, sizes and styles but one of the best that I have found is a line of toys made by Nina Ottoson. They are games designed to truly entertain your dogs body and mind. Available in both plastic and wood versions, there is one to suit every dog or owner. Your dog simply moves the parts to reveal his treats. Except, they aren’t quite so easy. You can gradually increase the level of difficulty so that your dog remains engaged. This search for treats or food bits simulates the hunting behaviors that your dog needs to find an outlet for. The wooden versions are definitely recommended for larger dogs or those who can be a little overzealous in their foraging.
On Dangerous Ground
www.aplacetolovedogs.com
This poor guy obviously has no clue as to just how precarious his situation is!
Taking Your Dog on Field Trips
A lot of people are feeling the effects of “cabin fever” this winter with all of the snow we’ve had, so imagine how good it feels to finally get out and see new sites, other people, and generally just stimulate our minds with new adventures. Well, your dog needs new adventures once in awhile, as well. Read this article explaining why it is important to take your dog on field trips.
Field Trips: why it’s important to get your dog out of the house
by Rachael Pan, February 6, 2010
Examiner.com
Dogs are highly intelligent creatures and as such, can quickly and easily become bored. Stimulation—both physical and mental—is very important to the overall health and well-being of your dog. Taking your dog on a “Field Trip” is a great way to give him some extra stimulation.
Be My Valentine
Are you looking for that special Valentine’s gift for your pooch? If so, you might check out these treats from Kona’s Chips.
You Are Your Dog’s Valentine…
If your precious pooch could pick a Valentine, it would be you! Let your dog know how much he is loved with a special V-Day treat from Kona’s Chips!
How To Stop Puppy Nipping Using "Urge-Control"
This may seem cute, but it's actually training this dog to nip
Have you ever heard of the famous Marshmallow test done by Stanford university that suggests that self-control is the number one determining factor to whether our children grow up to be above or below average?
If you’ve never read up on that study, it’s fascinating and can teach you a LOT about what it takes to teach puppies to stop nipping and control their emotional urges.
In their study, Stanford university took children into a room and asked a child to sit in a chair with a Marshmallow in front of them. The instructor then told the children that if they waited for him to run an errand, they could have two Marshamallows when he came back.
But if they ate the one in front of them they would NOT get the second Marshmallow.
Whether or not the children were able to resist the inner urge to just gobble up the Marshmallow or not, was an incedible predictor of how successful those children’s lives would be, how much money they would earn, and how happy their marriage would be.
The reason this experiment was such a big predictor of these childrens’ future success, is because there is one trait that all successful people have in common… the ability to delay immediate gratification because they realize it earns them long term gains.
Well guess what, this applies to dog’s as well!
The better your dog is at remembering to keep his emotions in check, and realizing that waiting can get him BIGGER rewards, the happier and easier your life with him will be.
Luckily for us, we can build delayed gratification, or what i call, “Urge Control” into our daily training excercises.
Build Urge Control Into every Day
Activities With Your Dog
When we weave the concept of Urge Control into all of our puppies training drills, the result is a dog who remains much more calm and emotionally stable in situations like:
- Staying calm when the doorbell rings
- Not rushing to gobble up food dropped on the floor
- Staying off counter tops
- Not nipping during a game of tug a war
- Being less aggressive on a leash towards other dogs
- Remaining indifferent when children accidentally irritate them
- and a host of other situations
One of the simplest ways I recomend people teach their dog’s Urge Control is when they first get their puppy and are working on how to stop his nipping.
Understanding Why Your Puppy is Nipping
The thing you need to determine when teaching a puppy how to stop nipping, is the main driving factor for why the puppy is nipping in the first place.
In most cases a puppy is nipping for one of two reasons.
- He is teething and finds relief from nipping and chewing on items. In this case, I recommend using a technique that I call, Cataloging Chewables which is all about how to stop destructive puppy chewing.
- He still thinks nipping is a fun way to play with you just like he did with his litter mates.
With puppies that are nipping because they think it’s a fun way to interact with you, we need to set up an environment where we take what the puppy wants (interaction with us) and hold it hostage against them.
This means that we set up a new rule for our puppy that he can fully understand.
The New Rule = “Playtime STOPS when you nip”
This means that you can play with your puppy all you want, but the second he nips you, or mouths you harder then you are comfortable with, simply stand up, and ignore your puppy.
It is not necessary to yell, swat or say no. The fact that you’ve given him the cold shoulder is sending him the strongest signal possible. Nothing else could be communicating your new “rules of engagement” better then by taking the thing he wants more then anything else in the world, (YOU) away from him when he nips.
Now Here’s What I
Want You To Do Next
Because this Urge Control drill is so effective, I want you to go practice it on your puppy right now.
Most clients of mine see a dramatic change in their dogs behavior within a matter of minutes.
After a handful of times of getting up and abruptly ending playtime with your puppy when he nips, you’ll see the little wheels start turning in his head as he realizes that you only stop playing with him when he nips.
Try to ignore your puppy for about 15-20 seconds after he nips before you resume playing with him.
If you’ll go spend some time today practicing this drill you should see nearly instant results.
But Your Work is NOT Done!
Urge Control is something that needs to be built into all aspects of your dogs life. Urge Control needs to be a rule your dog lives by, not just something to stop only nipping.
Sure it can be used for just that, but it can be something so much more when applied to all areas of your dog’s life.
So after you go try out this Urge Control technique on your dog, and see for yourself how effective it is, I want you to come back and sign up to receive a copy of my Hands Off Dog Training program that can show you how to finish up the other areas of your puppies training that need work.
You can pick up a copy of my Hands Off Dog Training program here.
